Family and Friends

We feel really lucky that we have been able to see so many family and friends this last week.

First of all, a shout out to my best friend and newest member of my eternal family, my husband. He has been so great these last few Sundays and has been cooking oodles of yummy dinners for us to eat.

 I mean look how delicious that looks! Now you think that looks good, look at this Stud.....

Pretty Good looking don't you think, especially in an apron. I am hoping football season doesn't cut too much into Jake's new desire to work on his culinary skills. I guess only time will tell.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to live with this man for the rest of my life! We know it's only possible through the temple ordinances we receive.
I'm glad we got to remember those this week. 

Here we are outside the Jordan River temple. Aren't we so lucky to have so many temples close to us. We truly live in a blessed area of the world. Families can be together forever.

Here is a picture of some of our family that got together for my cousin's wedding last week.

Now for the friends portion.... WaHoo for fabulous friends.

Meet Christyn and Julie:

These girls and I lived in DC together several years ago when I worked for Senator Hatch's office. We have seen each other through thick and thin. We are three of five who lived together and still to this day are all the best of friends. This was a good bye dinner for Christyn, as her and her hubby are moving to San Fran for her husband to go to school. Best of luck girl and hope we will be able to visit you soon.

Meet Shawn and Tina:

Shawn and Jake are friends from High School and we were able to go berry picking with them this last Saturday. Their new little baby is Maelin. Isn't he so cute.

We love Raspberries and went to a patch in Pleasent Grove to pick them. We were worried that there wouldn't be any left because we got there towards the end of the day. With some hunting and searching I think we got a pretty good amount. Don't you?

We were able to take all of these home. They filled two cookie sheets. I froze them and am hoping to use them up all winter long. It turned out to be the perfect day to go.

 It was a little overcast and the view was beautiful.

If nothing else it was a fun time. Plus look how amazing the mountains are behind us. Oh so beautiful! Thanks to family and friends who make life so full of joy and love.

Park City Baby

So we had a blast Thursday night as went up to Park City with Jake's office.

We rode the Alpine Slide, the Coaster and that's about as brave as I got. I am very scared of heights and when you add twists and turns to it, I am even worse. Let's just say the ski lift freaks me out, maybe that will be a good indicator of my limits.

Park City is beautiful this time of year.  The weather was perfect there as the sun set over the Wasatch mountains.

The ski lift to the slide

Ready, here we come

Such a Stud!

Over looking Park City, ready to slide down.

It's coaster time...

5 Confessions

This was Jake's Profile Picture on Facebook when we met. I love it! By the way, Jake has no idea who this kid is, at the time though I thought it made him look so kid-friendly. He totally used it just to get all the girls thinking how he would be a great father to their children. Such the experienced bachelor. He will make an amazing Dad one day though!

1. I am totally in love with my husband; in the sort of head over heals, can't stop day dreaming sort of way. I love him and he is as cheesy and sweet as he seems.

2. I have been in love with Jake since the first time I talked with him. As he mentioned when we met I was totally awkward and didn't know what to say. I like to play it off that I acted that way because I had just gotten home from my mission. Honestly though, it was because he looked so handsome (still is) and because I was so captivated in his smile. 

3. We have almost been married one year and it's been the happiest year of my life. Really though, I had a friend at work ask me "If you could go back to any younger age, what age would it be"? I told her I was happy with my age right now and wouldn't go back. I want to live in the moment. Jake makes me so happy and I love that he is the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. I love the time we get to spend together.

4. Our very first date was on Valentines Day. Which I secretly love because I never had much of a reason to celebrate it before. I had just decided to change over to a vegan diet, so for our date we went to the grocery store, got a few things and made Quinoa and Mangos. It was delicious and loved being in the kitchen with him.That night I felt like I spilt my soul to Jake. He was so easy to talk to and so easy to trust. He made me feel at ease and so accepted. I wanted to kiss him so bad that very first night; which being a sister missionay just a few weeks earlier is a funny feeling.

5. Jake is the only man I ever kissed after my mission and since then he is the only man I hope to kiss for the rest of my life. I am so thankful that we found each other and that Heavenly Father has blessed me to have him for time and all eternity.

First Sight

   A cold, dark Sunday morning on February 5th 2012, it seems like a typical sacrament meeting I sit down in the back of the chapel after wrapping up my morning meetings.  Almost immediately I notice a glow from five pews ahead of me.  All I could think about throughout that meeting were the bright, blonde curls that emanated a halo like glow around this angelic being whom I had never seen before.  
    
    After the meeting she stood up and to my wonder and amazement, she was more gorgeous than I possibly could have imagined.  A feeling of light and excitement reverberated through my body and I knew that I had to meet this blonde beauty.  I stood in my pew in a daze trying not to stare.  Then she turned to walk down the aisle towards me.  A lump formed in my throat.  I knew it would be difficult to form a coherent sentence in my nervous state, but I knew the risk of making a fool of myself was worth the potential of getting to know her.  As she approached I reached out to her and introduced myself and asked if she was new in the ward.     
   
    She seemed very hesitant to respond, but eventually said that yes, she was new.  I asked a little about her and found out she had just gotten home from a mission and that she had gone to BYU.  I could tell that she was still adjusting from her mission, but that fact helped make sense of the heavenly glow and the awkward body language.  I mentioned that I had gone to BYU also, and that seemed to put her a little more at ease.  However, she was not at ease enough to carry on the conversation, and motioned to leave.  I knew I couldn't let her disappear forever, so I stammered to ask her for her phone number.  She awkwardly hesitated, which lessened my confidence.  Trying to recover, I followed with... we'll need it to transfer your records into the ward.  She quickly shot off a phone number, and slipped away.  

    At that moment I had the greatest feeling in the world.  I don't know if I believed in love at first sight, but that day I felt a feeling of excitement that I hadn't ever felt before, and hoped more than anything that I would get a chance to get to talk to this glowing girl once again.  I was suddenly obsessed with an angel, Laurie Angell.

Laurie dancing angelically at BYU.